Closing spindle

ABSTRACT

A closing spindle particularly for the application of bottle caps on pressurized bottles. The spindle comprises a cam for motion along a fixed cam track for taking up impact forces generated by the device. The cam is connected to a coupler moving along with the bottle to be capped. The coupler is integral with a spindle shaft and a telescopically movable spindle under the pressure of a spring. The spindle is prevented from rotating with respect to the spindle shaft and is surrounded by the rotatable shaft. The rotatable shaft is provided with a telescopically movable shaft having means to force the bottle cap onto the bottle. The last mentioned movable shaft is prevented from rotating with respect to the rotatable shaft and is prevented from longitudinal motion with respect to the spindle.

United States Patent 1191 van der Meer [54] CLOSING SPINDLE [75] Inventor: Leonardus Petrus van der Meer,

Roelofsarendsveen, Netherlands [73] Assignee: N.V. Leidsche Apparatenfabriek,

Leiden, Netherlands [22] Filed: Mar. 16, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 124,994

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data 51 Apr.3,1973

1,860,954 5/1932 Risser ...53 317 x Primary Examiner-Travis S. McGehee Assistant Examiner-Horace M. Culver Attorney-Fleit, Gipple & Jacobson [57] ABSTRACT A closing spindle particularly for the application of bottle caps on pressurized bottles. The spindle comprises a cam for motion along a fixed cam track for taking up impact forces generated by the device. The cam is connected to a coupler moving along with the bottle to be capped. The coupler is integral with a spindle shaft and a telescopically movable spindle under the pressure of a spring. The spindle is prevented from rotating with respect to the spindle shaft and is surrounded by the rotatable shaft. The rotatable shaft is provided with a telescopically movable shaft having means to force the bottle cap onto the bottle. The last mentioned movable shaft is prevented from rotating with respect to the rotatable shaft andis p'reventedfrom longitudinal motion with respect to the spindle.

7 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures I CLOSING SPINDLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a closing spindle for a bottle capping machine, especially for a bottle capping machine for bottles filled with liquids under carbon dioxide pressure.

2. Description of the Prior Art In the typical closing spindles used for this purpose, the entire spring force necessary to push the cap onto the bottle, this force being approximately 200 kg, is transmitted to fixed parts of the closing spindle via an axial bearing or angular contact ball bearing and parts under spring pressure. To transmit such a force via an axial bearing, or angular contact ball bearing, a very sturdy or robust construction is necessary, causing a heavy, sturdy and robust construction of the entire machine, but still subjecting the machine to relatively rapid abrasion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above-noted disadvantage by providing a closing spindle. The inventive closing spindle comprises a cam for motion along a fixed cam track connected to a means moving along with the bottle to be capped and provided with a spindle shaft and a telescopically movable spindle under the pressure of a spring, the spindle being prevented from rotating with respect to the spindle shaft. A rotatable shaft is provided around the spindle with the rotatable shaft having a telescopically movable lower shaft provided with means .for forcing a cap onto a bottle, which lower shaft is prevented from rotating with respect to the rotatable shaft and which is prevented from longitudinal motion with respect to the spindle.

The construction of the inventive closing spindle is advantageous in that the force necessary to push the cap onto the bottle is transmitted entirely through the spindle, the spring, the means provided with the shaft and the cam connected therewith, the cam preferably acting as a cam roller rotatable about a horizontal axis. The force is transmitted to the cam track which is part of the fixed structure of the machine.

When the bottle is released from the closing spindle, the pressure of the spring is taken up by a broadened part attached to the upper end of the spindle and forming a stop against the upper end of the spindle shaft. Therefore, bearings supporting the rotatable shafts receive only relatively small forces, so that only radial bearings (lubricated for life) are necessary, and abrasion of the bearings is reduced to a minimum.

It is a further advantage of the present invention that the spindle, near its lower end, may be supported by the lower shaft so that horizontal forces which may result from insufficiently centered bottles may be suitably transmitted to the strong parts of the closing spindle such as the lower shaft.

The present invention is further characterized in that one end of the spring pushes on a stop fixed on the spindle and the other end thereof pushes on a stop fixed on the spindle shaft. In this construction, the forces may be transmitted in the above-mentioned way. This construction is further suitable for adaption to the construction in which the upper end of the spindle is provided with a stop which may push on a stop located at the upper side of the spindle shaft. With this latter construction, the force absorbing advantage is achieved in that after capping a bottle, the forces which are created by the impact of both stops against each other, due to the returning motion of the spindle, are not transmitted through the ball bearing, but instead via the spindle shaft, the means provided with the shaft, and the cam.

Another embodiment of the invention ischaracterized in that the lower end of the spindle is provided with a hard metal auxiliary means fixed to the spindle, consisting of a head under spring pressure which is adapted to force the cap on a bottle. The head is telescopically movable and is provided with a stop which may push against the auxiliary means under spring pressure. This construction is preferably provided with a safety ring and a stop, and is advantageous over the usual constructions in which, upon liberation of the bottle the stop is generally formed by one or more pins connected to the head. With the inventive construction, the hard metal parts are less apt to shatter under impace forces and hence less repairs to and shut-downs of the machine are necessary.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is further characterized in that the spindle shaft is carried in the rotatable shaft, preferably the upper part thereof. In this manner, a good beating of the whole spindle is obtained, whereby only small forces are transmitted through the bearing.

The invention is illustrated by the following drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a horizontal section through the inventive spindle, in the plane of the axis of a bottle closing machine. I

FIG. 2 is a top view of the spindle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The closing spindle shown in the drawings is rotatably supported in a case 1, which may rotate as does the plate on which the bottles to be capped are positioned, and which may be driven by known means.

' ing 5 and is rotatably mounted within the shaft 2. The

spindle shaft 6 is provided with a cam roller 8 rotatable about its horizontal axis and connected with the spindle shaft 6 via an auxiliary bar 7. The cam roller 8 is adapted to move in a cam track 9 which is part of the fixed structure of the machine. The cam track 9 comprises a high region corresponding to the portion of the cycle in which no. bottles are capped, and a low region corresponding to the portion of the cycle in which the bottles are capped. The lower shaft 4 is further provided with means for applying screw thread to the cap.

A spindle 10 is located in the spindle shaft 6 and is adapted to move axially. The lower end of the spindle 10 is rotatably supported by a bearing 11 mounted in the lower shaft 4. The spindle 10 is hence prevented from moving axially with respect to the lower shaft 4.

The spindle 10 is provided with a stop 12 for a compression spring 13, which rests, at its. other end, on a stop 14 on the spindle shaft 6. The force required to push the cap onto a bottle is exerted by means of the compression spring 13. The drawing shows that, when the cap is pushed on the bottle, the force is transmitted to the cam track 9 via the spindle 10, the compression spring 13, the stop 14, the spindle shaft 6, the auxiliary bar 7 and the cam roller 8. The reaction of the pressure of the spring 13 is taken up by a broadened part of the spindle 10, which comprises a nut 22 in this construction, pushing the spindle shaft 23 forming a stop for the nut 22. The bearings and 11 may therefore be of light construction, since only small forces are exerted thereon compared with the larger forces exerted on the caps.

As noted above, the upper end of the spindle is provided with a stop 22, which may push on a stop 23, located at the upper side of the spindle shaft 6. Forces due to the impact caused by the returning of the spindle 10 after capping a bottle are transmitted to the cam track 9 through the spindle shaft 6, the auxiliary bar 7 and the cam roller 8, so that the ball bearing 5 is not affected by the transmission of those forces.

To the lower end of the spindle 10 is fixed a hard metal auxiliary means 15. The auxiliary means 15 can move telescopically within a head 16 which is under the pressure of a spring 17. The bottom of the head 16 is adapted to push the cap on a bottle. The body of the head 16 is provided with a stop 18 at its upper end, which stop 18 can push against a stop 19 of the hard metal auxiliary means 15. The reaction stop of the pressure of the spring 17 is defined by a safety ring 24 and a stop 25. The reaction stops taking up the pressure of the spring 17 are preferred over similar constructions comprising pins slidable in slots, in that the hard metal auxiliary means 15 is less apt to shatter and is more easily mounted and dismounted.

FIG. 2 shows that the auxiliary bar 7 adjacent one of the flanges of the cam track 9 is provided with slidable cams and 21, serving to keep the combination of spindle 10, auxiliary bar 7 and cam roller 8 in the correct position in order to minimize abrasion of the cam roller 8 and cam track 9.

Above, a specific embodiment of the present invention has been described. It should be appreciated, however, that this embodiment is described for purposes of illustration only and that numerous alterations and modifications may be practiced by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is the intent that the invention not be limited by the above but be limited only as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is;

1. A closing spindle apparatus particularly suitable for applying bottle caps to bottles, the apparatus comprising: a cam track rigidly mounted on the fixed structure of the apparatus; cam means for motion along said fixed cam track mounted on coupler means adapted to follow the bottle to be capped; a spindle shaft integral with said coupler means; a telescopic spindle mamtained under the pressure of a biasing spring, adapted to telescope with respect to said spindle shaft, but restricted against rotation therein, the upper end of said spindle being provided with a first stop and adapted to abut a second stop located at the upper side of said spindle shaft; a rotatable shaft provided around said spindle and provided with a telescopic shaft, said telescopic shaft being restricted against rotation with respect to said rotatable shaft and being restricted against longitudinal motion with respect to said spindle; and means mounted on said telescopic shaft for forcing I caps on bottles.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one end of said biasing spring pushes against a stop fixed on said spindle and the other end thereof pushes on a stop fixed on said spindle shaft.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said spindle is supported by said telescopic shaft near the lower end of said spindle.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lower end of said spindle is provided with a hard metal auxiliary means and a head under the bias of a spring, said head being adapted to force a cap on a bottle;

. wherein said head is telescopically movable and is propushing against said second stop. 

1. A closing spindle apparatus particularly suitable for applying bottle caps to bottles, the apparatus comprising: a cam track rigidly mounted on the fixed structure of the apparatus; cam means for motion along said fixed cam track mounted on coupler means adapted to follow the bottle to be capped; a spindle shaft integral with said coupler means; a telescopic spindle maintained under the pressure of a biasing spring, adapted to telescope with respect to said spindle shaft, but restricted against rotation therein, the upper end of said spindle being provided with a first stop and adapted to abut a second stop located at the upper side of said spindle shaft; a rotatable shaft provided around said spindle and provided with a telescopic shaft, said telescopic shaft being restricted against rotation with respect to said rotatable shaft and being restricted against longitudinal motion with respect to said spindle; and means mounted on said telescopic shaft for forcing caps on bottles.
 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one end of said biasing spring pushes against a stop fixed on said spindle and the other end thereof pusheS on a stop fixed on said spindle shaft.
 3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said spindle is supported by said telescopic shaft near the lower end of said spindle.
 4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lower end of said spindle is provided with a hard metal auxiliary means and a head under the bias of a spring, said head being adapted to force a cap on a bottle; wherein said head is telescopically movable and is provided with a stop adapted to abut said auxiliary means; and further comprising a reaction stop defined by a safety ring and a third stop.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said spindle shaft is carried in the upper region of said rotatable shaft.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cam means comprises a cam roller rotatable about a horizontal shaft.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reaction of said biasing spring is absorbed by a nut pushing against said second stop. 